Twelve months that include: five-week summer intensive;
yearlong residency; 60 days of coursework; and two years of support following
placement.

Certification, Credits Earned

Initial Principal License Option of MEd
Or CAGS from UMASS

In 1995, after analyzing schools that were effective in teaching low-income
urban students and reviewing the effective-schools literature, Boston came up
with six Essentials of Whole School Improvement to guide its own efforts:

Essential 1: Effective instructional practice and a collaborative school climate lead to improved student learning.

Essential 2: Student work and data drive instruction and professional development.

Essential 3: Investments in professional development improve instruction.

Essential 6: Schools partner with families and community to support student learning.

At the heart of Boston Public Schools' improvement effort is the core
belief that leadership is the single most important factor in bringing about real
school change. This belief is manifested in the district's School Leadership
Institute (SLI), developed to recruit, prepare, and support the next generation
of Boston's school leaders. In 2003, SLI launched the Boston Principal Fellowship
(BPF) in response to the district's need for skillful new principals who
could "hit the ground running." SLI also established the New Principal
Support System to provide follow-through and coaching for new principals. In combination,
these two programs build a strong, knowledgeable and committed school leadership
workforce in Boston's neediest schools.

The BPF set out to identify, recruit, prepare, place, and support new
principals in its most challenging schools and to serve as the district's
preferred pathway to principalship. The first BPF cohort of 10 "fellows"
started in June 2003, followed in June 2004 by a second cohort of 11 fellows.
After successfully completing an intensive 12-month experience that integrates
theory and practice, candidates may apply for a principal or assistant principal
position. Once these beginning principals start their new job, the SLI provides
two years
of support through its new principal support system.

Selection Process

The most important step in preparing new principals, stresses the BPF
executive director, is to "get the right people on the bus." Recruiting
and screening potential candidates is a carefully structured process. The district
actively and broadly recruits candidates through its Web site, through announcements
and advertisements in national school leadership journals, local newspapers, and
through recommendations from other principals. Word -of-mouth is another reliable
source. The BPF admissions process consists of a written application (including
two essays), a performance assessment for semi- finalists, and an interview for
finalists.

Minimally, applicants must have a bachelor of arts—a master of arts is
preferred. In addition, applicants must have:

A minimum of three years experience in teaching (any p–16 level), youth
development, social work, counseling, or nonprofit or business management;

Evidence of experience as a successful leader;

Willingness to relocate (if necessary) and commit to working in Boston Public
Schools for a minimum of three years following fellowship;

The ability and time commitment for immersion in an intense yearlong learning
experience that includes some nights and weekends, academic coursework, research,
reports, and field-based projects; and

Official results from (or proof of registration to take)
the Communication and Literacy Skills section of the
Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure.

Applicants who successfully make it through the initial screening participate
in an interview with a BPF team looking for individuals who: see themselves as
lifelong learners; understand the elements of effective instruction; display an
ability to think outside the box and be a critical thinker and a complex problem
solver; demonstrate good listening skills; exhibit an ability to work as an effective
team member; articulate a personal theory of leadership; demonstrate persistence
and follow-through; and display a knowledge of current research
and literature related to educational leadership.

Fellows become employees of the Boston Public Schools and receive a full salary
and benefits that are comparable to the position they leave in order to participate
in the program. In accepting the salary, fellows agree to work in the Boston Public
Schools for three years. Upon completing the residency and course requirements,
they have the option of receiving a master's degree or a certificate of
advanced graduate studies from the University of Massachusetts–Boston. The
cost of this option, estimated at $4,000, is the responsibility of the fellow.

Program Design and Practical Learning Experiences

The BPF curriculum integrates the theory behind Boston's six Essentials
with the knowledge and skills required to implement them and carry out the pivotal
role of instructional leader. The two major program components are a yearlong
four-days-a-week residency with one of Boston's most effective principals—a
mentor principal—and 85 days of coursework and seminars. Fellows participate
in coursework for five weeks in the summer and one day per week and one weekend
per month during their residency experience. The classes take place at the BPS
professional development center and are taught by national experts, district leaders
with recognized expertise in one or more topics, and faculty from local universities.
To help synthesize their learning, fellows are given assignments designed to address
real needs in the schools where they work as residents or issues they will face
as new principals. For example, one resident developed a weekly training program
for new teachers on instructional strategies to accelerate children's early
reading development. They also keep reflective journals, using them in part as
a source for questions that can be discussed in the seminars.

Mentor principals are selected because of their demonstrated leadership skills,
their schools' success in implementing the six Essentials and raising student
achievement levels, and their skills in and commitment to mentoring. Because a
strong match between a fellow and mentor principal is critical to each candidate's
success, pairings are made with great care.

One 2003–04 program participant said, "The school was my classroom,
and my mentor principal was my teacher. He identified what I needed to know by
having me do the real work, and then he gave me feedback." This candidate
saw the fellow-mentor relationship as a critical laboratory for testing his emerging
theory of leadership: "The most important thing I learned was how to organize
and work through groups of adults. That's how a principal improves the school."
In addition to the residency, considered by most fellows to be the program's
most significant source of learning and preparation, many program graduates cite
their interactions with fellow cohort members as another critical element of BPF.
They came to recognize the expertise of their colleagues and were able to benchmark
their own progress against that of their cohort members.

The program curriculum and residency are designed to engender 11 very concrete
competencies that Boston has defined as essential to effective school leadership
(e.g., understanding how children and adults learn). Since each fellow comes to
the program with a different set of skills and experiences, candidates start in
July by doing a self-assessment related to the competencies. The results are then
used to develop an individualized learning plan that guides the first six months
of a candidate's fellowship. The plan outlines specific types of experiences
and activities that a fellow and his or her mentor will focus on during the residency.
Some examples include planning and implementing a parent engagement strategy,
leading a faculty meeting to analyze student performance data and identify their
instructional implications, and conferencing with a set of parents regarding their
child's learning progress.

In January, the fellow, his or her mentor principal, and the BPF executive
director review the candidate's progress on the learning goals and, based
on that assessment, revise or set new goals for the next three months. Fellows
also begin to identify their placement goals for the following school year (e.g.,
principal, assistant principal). In early May, the same trio meets again to review
the fellow's progress and readiness to assume the full responsibility of
a principalship. The fellow's self-assessment and mentor feedback, along
with the observations of the BPF executive director, guide decisions regarding
the kind of position a fellow is ready to take on during the next school year.

BPF's curriculum is organized into a developmental sequence that builds
fellows' understanding of the principles and practices that underlie the
BPF Essentials. The content is structured into four "cornerstone"
initiatives and one "capstone" initiative, all addressing some number
of the competencies, illustrating the interconnection of the Essentials, and integrating
the coursework and the residency. Collectively, the initiatives provide a continuous,
yearlong focus on critical levers for school improvement. Cornerstone and capstone
instructors include principals and other school leaders, higher-education faculty,
and community leaders.

As part of the first cornerstone, Analyzing Instruction and Supporting Improvement,
fellows observe students and teachers in their classrooms to hone their understanding
of students' learning processes and the instructional strategies of effective
teachers. Building on this foundation, they then learn elements of teacher supervision
and evaluation and examine how to use these processes as levers for instructional
improvement. Finally, through participation in regular "learning walks"
both at their residency school and in schools across the city, they become skilled
in analyzing instruction in classrooms and schools and in giving feedback that
supports improvement in practice.

In the second cornerstone, Family and Community Engagement, candidates deepen
their understanding of how schools can most effectively partner with parents and
the community and how the principal can lead this effort. Fellows build their
understanding of family and community interests by participating in their school's
School Site Council and School Parent Council. Simultaneously, they assume leadership
of a team to examine family and community engagement at their school. This builds
their skills in research, needs assessment, asset mapping, action-plan development
and implementation, working with a diverse population, and facilitating and
mobilizing teams.

In the third cornerstone, Leadership and Management, fellows deepen their
understanding of what a principal does to enhance the learning and achievement
of all students. Through coursework and individual learning plans, and by assuming
leadership and closely observing their principal mentor and school leaders, fellows
develop and are expected to demonstrate a deep understanding of how leaders promote
core values to shape culture and bring about organizational change. At the same
time, through coursework and engagement with and analysis of operations, budgets,
and the use of other resources, fellows develop and begin to practice a theory
of management. This cornerstone culminates in fellows developing transition and
entry plans to be used when they assume school leadership roles.

The fourth cornerstone, Scaling Up Instructional Improvement, focuses on what
is required to reach every classroom, every teacher, and every student. Fellows
learn the skills required to implement a continuous cycle of improvement, including
analyzing and using data on student performance and teacher practice to support
improvement; identifying instructional priorities; creating and implementing professional
development that supports teachers in addressing instructional priorities; tracking
implementation and impact through classroom observations and student performance;
and continually refining the cycle in response to data.

The capstone, Leadership and Learning, ties together all of the competencies
of effective principals and the four cornerstones of the program. Leadership is
a specific set of skills introduced through the Leadership and Management cornerstone,
as well as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that cut across all the cornerstones.
Fellows' leadership determines their effectiveness in their residencies
and, looking forward, their effectiveness as principals who are able to: create
a vision; organize a school around that vision; develop a culture that places
students and their learning at the center; create relationships and structures
essential to implementing the vision; and hold high expectations for students
and staff and support them in reaching the expectations.

In the spring, as fellows complete the program, they meet individually with
BPS district administrators and pursue positions for the next school year. Fellows
who are hired as principals continue to receive mentoring and coaching support
for two years following their placement. Fellows point to this continuing support
and the additional support from networking with their cohort members as key elements
in their early successes as school leaders.

Key Success Factors

Although BPF is in an early stage of development, its impact on BPS is impressive.
BPF fellows demonstrate an ability to "hit the ground running" when
they become principals—especially in challenging and low-performing schools.
As a result of its districtwide school improvement efforts over the last seven
years, Boston is realizing steady improvements in student achievement and has
made significant progress in closing the achievement gap that exists between black
and Hispanic students and white students. The district has been recognized nationally
for having a coherent and comprehensive improvement strategy that yields results,
most recently as a semi-finalist for the prestigious Broad Prize in education.
The district anticipates that BPF will play a significant role in its continuing
improvement because of the "ready-to-succeed" principals the program
produces.The BPF Program received seed funding from the U.S. Department of Education's
School Leadership Program and the Broad Foundation that will sustain it through
2006. Planning is underway to secure more
long-term funding to ensure BPF's continued contribution to Boston Public
Schools.

The BPF model demonstrates how a school district can prepare principals to
lead schools through whole school improvement grounded in leadership theory and
principles and targeted to the goals of the district. BPF leaders and participants
attribute the program's success to the following key elements:

The vision of a new model of school leadership specifically focused on the
Boston Public Schools' six Essentials of Whole School Improvement;

A research-based theory of action about effective school leadership;

A rigorous, thoughtful screening process to select applicants with the most
potential;

A strongly held core belief that all children can and will learn when the
principals of their schools are effective, knowledgeable instructional leaders;

Strong support and leadership from the district superintendent;

Understanding of the principal's pivotal role in whole school improvement;

Alignment of program curriculum with state and national leadership standards
and performance indicators;

Consistent use of data and feedback to strengthen the program;

Direct and frequent feedback to fellows from faculty, mentor principals, and
BPF staff; and